A long-serving Dubai Police officer has become the first woman to achieve the rank of brigadier in the 69-year history of Dubai Police.
Brig Samira Al Ali's appointment came under a round of promotions for senior officers, non-commissioned officers and personnel under the directive of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
Brig Al Ali was given the promotion after 31 years of service to Dubai Police.
She currently heads the insurance department at Dubai Police and has played a pivotal role in developing world-class insurance practices that support the organisation’s assets and operations.
“This promotion is a source of pride for every woman in Dubai Police and a testament to the organisation’s dedication to granting women equal opportunities to lead and serve their country,” she said.
“This rank carries great responsibility. I will do everything in my power to live up to the confidence placed in me and continue contributing meaningfully to our beloved nation and the institution I’m proud to be part of.”
Brigadier Al Ali joined Dubai Police in October 1994, following her graduation from the UAE University in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in insurance.
After an initial spell working in the private insurance industry, she enrolled in a women’s preparatory course at the Dubai Police Academy after responding to a newspaper recruitment advert.
Her role was alongside two other workers, but the office quickly evolved to become a specialised department with three major sections covering all insurance matters relating to Dubai Police assets.
Her growing leadership talents led her to become the first woman to work at the General Department of Transport and Rescue, and eventually take up a senior position in a department that had previously only employed men.
Pioneering role
The department she leads has since gone on to develop several innovations, including adding unmanned drones to insurance coverage, work injury insurance for volunteers and medical malpractice insurance for staff at Dubai Police Health Centre.
In 2022, Brigadier Al Ali, who has a son, was named Outstanding Female Employee (2022) in the Emirates Women Award by Dubai Quality Group.
“No other police agency in the UAE has a dedicated Insurance Department like ours,” she said. “We handle all types of insurance operations, constantly updating and monitoring policies to meet evolving needs.
“Discipline and commitment, which I learnt at Dubai Police, helped me balance my professional and personal life.
“I always remind my 22-member team, including three women, to believe in yourselves and trust in God. With faith and effort, everything is possible.”
RESULT
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2
Arsenal: Aubameyang (13')
Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87')
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AUSTRALIA SQUAD v SOUTH AFRICA
Aaron Finch (capt), Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa
Company%20profile
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
